A senior reporter is leaving his home county after being promoted to a top editorial role at a regional daily.

Ben Hardy, pictured, has been appointed digital audience and content editor at the Oxford Mail.

Ben moves from the Norwich Evening News, which earlier this year became a sister daily to the Mail following Newsquest’s takeover of Archant.

He will be charged with managing the Mail’s website homepage and social media pages, as well as analysing how stories are performing online and giving reporters advice and feedback based on web statistics.

Ben has also previously worked for the Eastern Daily Press and the Lynn News, in King’s Lynn.

He told HTFP: “This is my first non-reporter role within a newsroom as well as my first job outside Norfolk where I was born and raised.

“It’s an exciting new challenge which will include news gathering, analysing how our stories are performing online, giving reporters advice and social media management.

“The Oxford Mail has a fantastic team of motivated journalists and it is a huge honour to be working with them as a digital audience and content editor.”